What's behind Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's visit to Pakistan, India amid tensions

Iran has announced that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Pakistan on Monday, which Tehran claims is "part of regular consultations with neighbouring countries". The statement comes as Araghchi announced he is visiting India next week, which New Delhi claims was scheduled long before the Pahalgam terror attack happened. 

According to Tehran, he will meet with high-ranking officials of both countries. Earlier, Iran had expressed willingness to mediate between India and Pakistan following rising tensions calling both nations "brotherly neighbours of Iran." 

"India and Pakistan are brothers and neighbours of Iran, and their relations have deep roots in cultural and civilizational ties that date back hundreds of years. We consider them, as we do with other neighbours, our top priority," Araghchi stated. 

Pakistan had then welcomed Araghchi's statement while India has not responded to it. 

After the terror attack in Pahalgam, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rang up Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express condolences and offer his support to combat terrorism. His offer to mediate came as a surprise as Iran doesn't enjoy deep-rooted ties with India, unlike the Gulf countries, including the UAE, which earlier had held mediations between the nations. 

Despite this, Iran's offer to mediate was seen as a reflection of its view that a conflict in South Asia would not be beneficial for the region. Experts believe Iran's perspective is that an open conflict would have global repercussions. 

According to Iranian state media, Tehran's role as a mediator would be a good choice as it seeks to remain neutral, not directly engaging in the internal disputes of its neighbours, but providing a space for dialogue. However, while mentioning Araghchi's visit to India, Tehran made no mention of the mediation, stating that he would be in India to "promote dialogue and explore avenues for cooperation in the region." 

However, for Iran to be a successful mediator, it would need to maintain a delicate balance, which involves agreeing with India's demand to respond to the attacks.  

Though New Delhi says Araghchi's visit was planned long back, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will still brief him about the Pahalgam attack. The duo are expected to hold detailed discussions. Araghchi will also hold a meeting of the bilateral joint commission. 

It will also be Araghchi’s first visit to India since he was appointed the Foreign Minister last August.

Middle East